A Fresh Start

By the time Tuesday's workday ended, Roy was almost grateful for how ordinary it had been. After Monday's chaos, a normal day had been a welcome change. There had been no server crashes, no mysteriously disappearing reports, no parade of sick employees, and no parade of increasingly ridiculous problems demanding his attention. The department had been busy, certainly, but it was the manageable sort of busy that came with having a job to do. Meetings, questions, emails, decisions, and the usual assortment of small problems that needed solving. Nothing particularly exciting, but nothing disastrous either.

For once, Roy had been able to concentrate on his work.

That had helped more than he'd expected. Monique had barely crossed his mind, which was probably a good thing. He still didn't know what to make of his relationship with her or how he should handle the complicated feelings involved. Tom had only intruded on his thoughts when Helena contacted him with the disappointing news that she'd found nothing useful on the laptop she'd taken from him. She hadn't given up, but the lack of evidence was discouraging. And Ava's possible feelings for him had surfaced only briefly, bringing with them a fresh wave of anxiety before work pulled his attention elsewhere.

All things considered, it had been a productive day.

Unfortunately, the day wasn't quite finished.

There was still his date with Agnes.

Roy glanced at the clock as he shut down his computer. The appointment was approaching, and his enthusiasm hadn't improved with the passage of time. In fact, the closer it got, the more he found himself wishing he'd come up with a convincing excuse to postpone it.

His girlfriends had been remarkably united on the subject. Give Agnes a chance, they'd insisted. Don't put it off. Get it over with. It might be nice.

Nice.

That wasn't a word he'd ever associated with Agnes.

Hot? Absolutely. Sexy? Without question. Mean? Undeniably.

Agnes had been one of the reasons Roy was looking forward to leaving his apartment building. She was the woman who had so openly and comfortably disliked Michelle simply because of the colour of her skin. She'd treated Roy with barely concealed contempt, too, dismissing every friendly attempt he'd made over the years. To Agnes, he hadn't been worth her time or attention. His appearance had apparently disqualified him from being someone she needed to treat with even basic courtesy.

And now he was supposed to take her on a date.

Jessica had been particularly insistent that Agnes had changed. Roy trusted Jessica's judgement. She was intelligent, perceptive, and usually the smartest person in any room she entered. More importantly, she wanted what was best for him. If Jessica believed Agnes was genuinely trying to become a better person, Roy had to take that seriously.

Besides, he'd already seen what the wish could do. The women who'd been affected by it had undergone changes that went far beyond simply developing an attraction to him. Their attitudes, priorities, and feelings had shifted until they seemed to view the world through entirely different eyes. Roy had little doubt that something similar had happened to Agnes. She was probably undergoing an emotional and psychological rewrite, whether she understood it or not.

But would that be enough for him to overlook what he already knew about her?

That was the question he couldn't answer.

History was difficult to overcome. So was memory. Roy couldn't simply erase years of unpleasant encounters because Agnes had suddenly developed feelings for him. He remembered the way she'd looked at Michelle. He remembered the contempt in her voice and the coldness she'd shown him. Those memories were part of his experience, and he wasn't prepared to pretend they didn't matter.

Still, he'd agreed to the date. His girlfriends believed Agnes deserved the opportunity, and Roy had decided to honour their wishes. He didn't have to promise anything beyond giving her a chance.

The restaurant didn't make the evening any easier. It was a considerably fancier establishment than Roy would normally have chosen. The lighting was soft and warm, the tables were covered with crisp white linen, and the cutlery looked as though it had been polished individually. A few couples sat near the windows, talking quietly over expensive-looking meals. Everything about the place suggested that the management expected its customers to appreciate fine dining and weren't particularly interested in making it affordable.

Elaine had insisted he make an effort. If he was going to give Agnes a chance, he should at least take her somewhere nice.

Roy suspected Elaine had been more enthusiastic about the date than he was.

Ordinarily, he wouldn't have spent this much on dinner, but moving in with Jessica would soon reduce his monthly expenses considerably. Living in her house with the other women meant fewer bills and a lot less money spent maintaining his apartment. Of course, if Helena couldn't resolve the situation with Tom, Roy's income would be taking a rather substantial hit as well.

But that was a worry for another day.

Tonight, he had to get through dinner.

Arriving before Agnes gave him a little time to settle in. After being shown to their table, Roy ordered a beer and tried to relax. The first one went down quickly. By the time he was halfway through the second, he was beginning to wonder whether he'd made a mistake by ordering it.

How was he supposed to be nice to Agnes? How could he honestly give her a chance when the woman sitting across from him was someone he'd written off years ago? Not because of how she looked, but because of who she'd shown herself to be.

A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Roy?"

He looked up.

Agnes was standing beside the table, smiling at him.

For a moment, his mind struggled to reconcile the woman in front of him with the neighbour he'd known for so long. She was tall and strikingly beautiful, as always, but tonight she'd made a particular effort. Her blonde hair fell carefully around her shoulders, framing a face that looked brighter and softer than he remembered. A fitted dark-blue dress hugged her figure, emphasizing her long legs and narrow waist without appearing cheap or overly revealing. The neckline was far from modest, and the dress was tailored closely enough to make it clear that Agnes knew exactly what she was showing off. Elegant heels added a little more height, and her immaculate makeup completed the look.

She looked incredible.

More surprising, though, was her expression. Her cheeks were flushed, and once they locked eyes the smile she gave him was so open and genuinely happy that Roy almost wondered whether she'd mistaken him for someone else. The cool, polished confidence he'd grown accustomed to seeing had disappeared. In its place was something much more vulnerable, almost shy.

Agnes was genuinely excited to see him.

Roy stood automatically when she reached the table, an old-fashioned reflex kicking in before he'd thought about it. A moment later, he caught himself and sat back down. The gesture had been instinctive, but he wasn't going to let himself be swept along by appearances.

Yes, Agnes was gorgeous. That had never been the problem. If she was going to find a place in his life, in his heart, she would have to prove herself. Her appearance wasn't going to change what he'd seen and experienced.

"Agnes," he said, keeping his voice cool.

"Roy." Her reply was full of excitement, almost as though she'd been waiting all day for the opportunity to say his name. "Thank you so much for... well, for tonight. I really appreciate it."

"Have a seat," he said, indicating the chair across from him.

Agnes settled into it, smoothing her dress beneath her before looking back at him. Roy decided not to waste time with small talk. There was too much between them, and he wanted to understand what was happening.

"Jessica asked me to give you a chance," he began. "But honestly, I'm surprised you'd even want to go out with me. I always got the impression you didn't like me."

Agnes's blue eyes dropped to the table.

The expression on her face was unexpected. Shame, perhaps? Roy wasn't sure, but it certainly wasn't the confident dismissal he'd come to expect. Over the years, he'd seen plenty of pride in Agnes, along with a seemingly endless supply of self-assurance. Whenever she'd looked at him, it had usually been from a position of superiority. Now she seemed almost embarrassed to meet his eyes, as though she wanted to disappear beneath the tablecloth.

"I didn't," she admitted quietly. "And if we're going to do this, I want to be honest with you. For some reason, I never felt attracted to you before a few days ago. I know how awful that sounds, but it's the truth. And now..." She looked up, her eyes glistening. "Now I don't even understand how I could have felt that way. The idea of not being attracted to you, or wanting anyone other than you, seems completely absurd."

Roy stared at her. There was an intensity to the confession that he hadn't anticipated. Agnes wasn't making excuses or trying to soften what she'd done. She was openly acknowledging that she'd disliked him, and she seemed genuinely troubled by the realization.

"I've been a fool," she continued. "An idiot. Call me whatever you like, because I deserve it. We've lived so close to each other for years, and I treated you horribly. I could have been part of your life. I could have known you. I could have made you happy, and instead I threw all of that away."

Her voice faltered. Tears had begun to gather in her eyes.

"Agnes..."

"No, please. Let me finish." She raised one hand slightly, asking him to wait. "I need to say this. I've spent the last few days thinking about everything, and I can't believe how badly I've behaved. I don't know what I was thinking. I don't know how I could have been so narrow-minded."

Roy settled back in his chair. Whatever else he thought about the situation, he could at least give her the opportunity to speak.

"And now I see these other women," Agnes continued.

Roy felt his guard rise immediately. The last thing he wanted was to hear Agnes criticize his girlfriends. He'd had quite enough of that in the past, and he wasn't about to tolerate it now.

But she wasn't finished.

"These beautiful women. Women you love, and women who love you. I used to have such a narrow view of the world, of people, of who had value and who didn't. I thought I understood what mattered, but I didn't understand anything." She paused, looking directly at him. "And then there's you. Wonderful you. You love them. All of them. You see something special in each of them, and you make them feel valued. They're worthy of your love, and you know it. How could a man as wonderful as you be wrong about something so important?"

A tear rolled down her cheek.

Roy found himself at a loss for words.

"I understand if you don't want me," Agnes said, her voice growing quieter. Another tear followed the first. "After the way I've treated you, after the things I've thought and said about your girlfriends, I wouldn't blame you. I know I don't deserve a place in your life. But please believe me about this. Roy, I love you. I love you deeply and profoundly. Loving you is a gift, and it's a gift I don't deserve, but it's real. Even if you reject me tonight, I'm going to love you for the rest of my life."

For several seconds, Roy could only stare at her. He'd expected an awkward conversation. Perhaps some embarrassment, a few apologies, and an explanation of why she'd suddenly changed her mind about him. He hadn't expected this. Agnes was sitting across from him in a beautiful dress, crying as she confessed an overwhelming love that seemed to have appeared almost overnight.

It was impossible not to feel sorry for her.

Without really thinking about it, Roy reached across the table and placed his hand over hers. Agnes looked down at the contact, then back at him. Her expression changed, hope replacing some of the sadness.

Roy didn't love her. He needed to be clear about that, at least with himself. He barely knew this version of Agnes. The woman he'd known for years was someone he'd disliked, someone whose behaviour had made him uncomfortable and, at times, angry. The woman sitting across from him now seemed entirely different.

And yet, he believed she loved him.

That was the truly disturbing part.

It was the wish. Obviously it was the wish. Varoonth had warned him that the magic was changing, and here was the change sitting right in front of him. Agnes had gone from treating him with contempt to declaring that she'd love him for the rest of her life. The transformation was so complete that it was difficult to imagine how the two versions of her could possibly belong to the same person.

Was this what awaited all the women he'd released from the wish?

The thought was deeply unsettling. Would they all eventually experience something similar? Would women he'd once been involved with suddenly find themselves overwhelmed by feelings they couldn't explain? Would they start seeking him out, confessing their love, and asking for a place in his life?

He thought of Ava. Of Iris. Of the others.

There were too many possibilities, and none of them offered an easy answer.

Part of him wanted to reject Agnes outright. After everything she'd done, she deserved to hear that he wanted nothing to do with her. He could tell her that her sudden change of heart didn't erase years of cruelty, that an emotional rewrite wasn't the same thing as earning forgiveness. He could stand up, pay for his beer, and leave.

But another part of him, the softer part that had always struggled to hurt people, couldn't imagine doing that while she was sitting there so vulnerable. Agnes wasn't responsible for the magic any more than the other women were. She might not even understand why her feelings had changed so dramatically. Whatever had happened to her, she seemed to be trying to make sense of it and become someone better.

Would rejecting her now really accomplish anything? Would it make him feel better to hurt someone who was already hurting?

Roy gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Okay," he said quietly. "Thank you for telling me all that."

Agnes watched him, waiting.

"I don't know where this is going to lead, and I'm not going to pretend that everything that's happened between us doesn't matter. There's a lot of history here, and I think we both know that. But I'm willing to try. Let's start fresh and see what happens."

Hope brightened her blue eyes. The change in her expression was immediate, and Roy felt a small pang of guilt at how much his words seemed to mean to her.

He wasn't promising love. He wasn't even promising another date. He was offering an opportunity, nothing more. Whether that was enough for Agnes remained to be seen.

Roy withdrew his hand and offered it across the table.

"I'm Roy," he said, managing a small smile. "Pleased to meet you."

Agnes looked at his hand, then back at his face. Her smile returned, this time with an almost disbelieving happiness.

"Agnes," she replied, placing her hand in his. "It's lovely to meet you, Roy."

The handshake lasted a little longer than necessary.

Roy smiled politely, but his thoughts were already elsewhere. He'd agreed to give Agnes a chance, just as his girlfriends had asked. He hoped he wouldn't regret it.

More than anything, though, he wished he understood what the wish was doing to the people around him.

Because whatever was happening, it was no longer behaving the way it used to.